Murderous Intent

Long Chen walked in front with a gloomy expression, a massive bone blade resting on his shoulder. With his left hand, he held someone by the hair, dragging them along like a dead dog as he approached the crowd.

Behind Long Chen, the giant-like A-Man carried a massive, fifteen-foot-long mace on his back. He looked like a mountain-splitting titan, making it hard for people to even catch their breath.

What shocked everyone the most was the person Long Chen was holding. Their body was almost deformed, limbs dangling limply as if broken in countless places.

"Qi Xin, it's Qi Xin!"

Someone finally couldn't help but exclaim. They realized that the person Long Chen was dragging was none other than the Core Disciple, Qi Xin.

Seeing Qi Xin caused everyone to gasp. A Core Disciple, an existence they could only look up to, was being dragged around just like that.

Long Chen seemed not to notice the crowd at all. He walked straight up to them, tossed Qi Xin onto the ground, and said to everyone:

"I invited you brothers here today to ask for a favor. However, this favor might affect your standing in the Branch Courtyard, and you might even be expelled…" Long Chen said in a deep voice.

"Long Chen, don't say useless things. Since you call us brothers, your business is our business. Just tell us what you need. Even if you want us to tear down this statue, we'll do it right now," Luo Cang interrupted Long Chen.

Although Luo Cang spoke bluntly, he represented the thoughts of everyone present. In their hearts, Long Chen was a true hero, upright and honorable, with immense loyalty.

To prevent his brothers from suffering humiliation, he had challenged the authority of the Branch Courtyard and executed five traitors.

Even when banished to the Death Zone, he hadn't frowned once, and he had returned from that place of certain death alone.

The first thing he did upon returning was to lead everyone to repay the humiliation they had suffered twofold. That kind of spirit was truly admirable.

In their hearts, Long Chen was their goal, their idol. Never mind being expelled from the Branch Courtyard; even if it meant death, it would be worth it to follow such a heroic figure.

"Good. Since that's the case, I, Long Chen, won't be pretentious. Let's go all out!"

After saying this, Long Chen kicked Qi Xin in the chest, causing the previously unconscious man to jolt awake.

As soon as he woke up, his whole body began to twitch, and he let out a heart-wrenching scream like a slaughtered pig.

"Speak, where does Wu Qi live?" Long Chen asked coldly.

"At… the Qifeng Pavilion… base," Qi Xin stammered.

It was simply too painful. The Medicinal Pill Long Chen had forced him to swallow magnified his pain ten times over. He couldn't take it anymore and dared not resist Long Chen again.

"Bang!"

Long Chen kicked him in the chest, knocking him unconscious again. Once Qi Xin passed out, the world became quiet, though that shrill, pig-slaughtering scream still echoed in everyone's ears.

"Follow me."

Long Chen dragged Qi Xin towards the east gate of the Branch Courtyard. That was where Qifeng Pavilion was located, and there was a base there where Wu Qi was stationed.

Upon hearing this, the crowd was stunned for a moment, then finally understood. Long Chen hadn't gathered them to compete against Gu Yang and the others; he was going after the Law Enforcement Team.

Everyone was startled, but immediately felt a surge of excitement. Such a thrilling thing was something only Long Chen would dare to think of and dare to do.

Since they had known Long Chen, it seemed he never played by the rules. Almost no one could guess what he was thinking.

Watching Song Mingyuan and the others excitedly following behind Long Chen, Tang Waner and Ye Zhiqiu exchanged glances and couldn't help but smile bitterly.

Men were always combative by nature, as if causing trouble was their instinct. Even those Outer Sect Disciples had fanatical light in their eyes, leaving Tang Waner and Ye Zhiqiu speechless.

Looking at Long Chen's figure in front, for some reason, Tang Waner felt her own blood boiling.

It was like doing something naughty as a child—feeling nervous, yet sensing a strange kind of thrill.

Long Chen was a typical bad guy; he would never be a good boy. Any rules or constraints were meaningless to him.

He was like a Kunpeng spreading its wings to fly, wanting to break free from the shackles of heaven and earth, shatter all rules, and live freely.

Long Chen and his group marched imposingly towards Qifeng Pavilion. The crowd took a look and was just about to follow.

"It's actually Gu Yang and Lei Qianshang!"

"Heavens, they're both injured! Who did this?"

Just then, people saw two figures slowly walking from a distance, and the crowd immediately exclaimed.

Their faces were deathly pale, their breath chaotic, and their bodies stained with blood. It was clear they had just been through a great battle.

In particular, Gu Yang's arms were bent at an unnatural angle, clearly broken. Lei Qianshang walked with a hunched back, and his chest was sunken. It appeared both were severely injured.

As soon as the two appeared, someone stepped forward—it was those few Core Disciples who were in an Alliance with Gu Yang.

"Brother Gu, Brother Lei, you…"

"Don't ask. Let's go over and watch the show," Gu Yang interrupted, walking in the direction Long Chen had left.

Those few people immediately followed behind. At this moment, the crowd's expressions changed. They suddenly thought of a possibility and couldn't help but gasp.

Among the new generation of Disciples in the entire Branch Courtyard, only that person could possibly injure Gu Yang!

Recalling the scene of Long Chen dragging Qi Xin with one hand, everyone felt a chill in their hearts. Was he even human? He was simply a monster, able to defeat three people single-handedly, and leave them severely injured at that.

Seeing Gu Yang and the others follow, the crowd also began to trail behind. They wanted to know what Long Chen was going to do at Qifeng Pavilion.

Judging by Long Chen's tone, it seemed he was going to cause trouble for Wu Qi. They wondered how this Wu Qi had offended Long Chen, causing him to gather five major powers to go settle the score.

"It might have something to do with Long Chen's mount," someone speculated.

After all, when Long Chen returned, he started asking about Xiaoxue's whereabouts without trying to hide it, and everyone had heard about it.

Although they didn't know the specific details, they had just heard Luo Cang call Qi Xin a despicable villain. Later, when Long Chen appeared and made Qi Xin point out Wu Qi, it was likely that this matter was inseparable from Qi Xin.

However, no one knew the specifics, so they couldn't be bothered to guess anymore. They would just follow and see for themselves.

Qifeng Pavilion was located at the east gate of the Xuantian Branch Courtyard. The location was slightly remote and was where a portion of the Law Enforcement Team was stationed.

Like the Heaven and Earth Alliance and other factions, this was a place for the law enforcers to cultivate. Aside from their usual patrols, they basically cultivated here. There were seven such bases in the entire Branch Courtyard, each housing ten law enforcers.

They were Disciples who had remained from the previous batch. Cultivating here was equivalent to work-study; the Branch Courtyard provided them with resources, and they had to execute tasks.

Halfway up the mountain at Qifeng Pavilion was where the law enforcers were stationed. There were ten Immortal Caves here, each housing a Senior Brother-level expert.

However, the ten people took turns patrolling, and today only three were resting. In front of the base, a massive snow wolf was tightly bound by sturdy ropes, its body covered in wounds.

That figure was none other than Xiaoxue. Now, Xiaoxue's body was covered in countless crisscrossing wounds, and fresh blood had stained the surrounding ground red.

At this moment, Xiaoxue was glaring angrily at a figure in front, who was holding a long leather whip.

The long whip was embedded with countless sharp iron hooks, and the hooks were stained with blood.

"Swish!"

The long whip lashed out at Xiaoxue once again. Xiaoxue roared again, but its voice was hoarse and weak.

"Senior Brother Wu, let's just forget it. It's been three days, and you still haven't made it submit. Just give it a quick death, and we can have a feast," a law enforcer in the distance laughed.

They had spent immense effort to capture this Crimson Flame Snow Wolf because they discovered it had not been imprinted with a Soul mark. This meant that if they could make it submit, they could place their own Soul mark on it and make it their mount.

"Damn it, this beast is just like that bastard Long Chen—like a rock in a latrine, smelly and hard.

This scorpion-hook whip is coated with nerve toxin. Once it cuts the skin, the pain is unbearable, and even a Peak Third-Stage Demonic Beast couldn't withstand it.

This guy, which just stepped into the Early Stage of the Third-Stage, has actually tormented me for such a long time and still refuses to submit. It's infuriating!"

Wu Qi was furious. He swung the whip and lashed Xiaoxue several more times: "I'll make you stubborn! I'll make you refuse to submit! I'll whip you to death!"

By now, there wasn't a single intact spot on Xiaoxue's body. After taking several more lashes, several shocking new wounds appeared, its flesh torn open, and blood slowly flowed down.

"Senior Brother Wu, if you keep hitting it like this, you're really going to kill it," another law enforcer advised.

Even a Third-Stage Demonic Beast, after being beaten like this for three days, its flesh mangled and blood almost drained, would die no matter how tenacious its vitality was.

Now, this Crimson Flame Snow Wolf's eyes were already becoming dull, indicating that its Origin was about to be exhausted. Once its Origin disappeared, it would definitely die.

"It's so infuriating! Why could that bastard Long Chen subdue it? And he didn't even need to plant a Soul mark; it just followed him so devotedly.

I am countless times stronger than that bastard Long Chen. Why does he get to have such a powerful mount?"

The more Wu Qi spoke, the angrier he became. The Crimson Flame Snow Wolf was a king among Third-Stage Demonic Beasts. Once it advanced to the Peak of the Third-Stage, it would be an invincible existence among Third-Stage Demonic Beasts.

You have to know, the three of them, who were Middle Stage Yi Jin Realm experts, had to spend a great deal of effort to subdue Xiaoxue. One of them had even suffered severe internal injuries during Xiaoxue's desperate counterattack.

This showed how terrifying Xiaoxue's combat power was. Yet, such a powerful Demonic Beast was willing to follow a rookie.

And that rookie was the very person he hated to the bone. This made him even angrier, and so jealous he was about to go mad.

"Since you refuse to submit, don't blame me for being ruthless. What I, Wu Qi, cannot have, you, Long Chen, shall not have either!"

Gritting his teeth, Wu Qi looked at Xiaoxue, who was still glaring at him. Rage rose in his heart. He threw away the long whip, drew a gleaming sword, and slashed down towards Xiaoxue's head.

Just as he raised his long sword, a sudden, piercing Killing Intent descended upon the world like the will of the Grim Reaper. A bone blade, carrying endless Killing Intent and an Aura that seemed to cleave the heavens, slashed down.

"Kill!"